Kalimba

The Kalimba´s origin lies in Africa. Centuries old, it´s also known under the names of „Mbira“ or „Sanza“. Metal tines are fixed on a wooden resonator. When plucked with the thumbs, a delicate metallic sound can be produced. Kalimbas have one or two rows with different numbers of notes (mostly 9-17) in various tunings (pentatonic, diatonic and even chromatic).

A new invention, built by Hokema, is the Sansula where the wooden board is integrated in a skin within a frame.

Most people use the Kalimba to improvise or to create sound-scapes but it is also possible to play beautiful solo pieces, together with other instruments or to accompany songs. For this purpose it is advisable to own various Kalimbas in different tunings.